Civilization V: The 4X Game for Emperors

By Graham S.

Whether you are a devoted member of the NorthStar Gaming Club, an enjoyer of video games who is not in the club, or simply someone who loves strategy, Civilization V is a game you would probably love. Civilization V is the fifth installment in the much-loved Civilization franchise, a series of turn-based 4X Grand Strategy games. Published in 2010 by Firaxis Games, Civilization V is considered to be one of the franchises’ best. As the name suggests, the objective of Civ V, as the game’s name is often abbreviated to, is to found a mighty civilization that will stand the test of time. However, the world is shared with other civilizations, controlled by the computer or by other players, who each have their own interests to defend. Trade, form alliances, and go to war with these fellow empires, but, ultimately, there can only be one victor.


At the beginning of Civ V, you select your leader. Each leader is a real human being from history and comes with their respective country attached to them. While each country has different unique buildings and units that can provide advantages to certain playstyles, the way you play your empire is entirely up to you. As the game goes on, you can adopt certain cultural ideologies and systems of government, allowing you to create various unique civilizations never before seen in history (the Kingdom of America lead by George Washington, the Socialist Republic of France lead by Napoleon, or the Empire of India lead by Gandhi, for example). The maps are randomly generated and are different each game, making each playthrough unique (“Sid Meier’s Civilization V”).


Civilization V has an immense technology tree, starting with technologies as simple as pottery or archery, and ending with giant robots. Different technologies allow you to build more types of buildings and more types of units and to advance the game’s era. Eras do not change the way the game is played but provide some small aesthetic changes to your cities. Culture also functions in trees, with your culture developing more the more you complete the selected tree. Your country’s religion also develops as the game goes on, changing from a more primitive, simple pantheon, to modern religions. Civ V can be won with a domination victory by conquering the world, a science victory by completing a spaceship before another faction does, a cultural victory by completing enough culture trees, a diplomatic victory by winning a vote in the United Nations, or a time victory by having the most points by the year 2050 (in-game, of course). Points can be gained by building cities, conquering foes, constructing wondrous buildings, or in many other ways (“Sid Meier’s Civilization V”).


Civilization V is, all in all, a very good game. Watching the world develop is entertaining, strategy and planning for the future keeps the game engaging, and the game’s difficulty can be changed if it’s too easy or too hard. The only downsides to the gameplay are that, once you figure out a good strategy, the game becomes considerably easier. There are no random events that can interrupt your plans. Additionally, playing the game pacifistically often feels boring and unrewarding, since internal politics are simple and not particularly challenging to manage. The game’s graphics still hold up quite well by modern standards, and the soundtrack is majestic and orchestral. With all this said, Civilization V is a classic strategy game for people of all ages and levels of experience and is fun playing both single and multiplayer.

Graham S. lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with his mom, dad, younger brother, cat, and two dogs. He's been at NSA for three years. He loves reading, writing, video games, Dungeons and Dragons, and Warhammer 40k. The Navigator acts as perfect way for him to use his love of writing and share his work.

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